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Funny young man tired of cleaning carpet at home

You’re constantly in a hurry, late with everything, have so many things to do and don’t really have time for yourself? There are so many things you have to do, that you don’t have time to do what you want to? Well, join the club. With this new (or not so new anymore) pace of life in the fifth gear, more and more people are facing the same problem.

Feeling like a hamster in the wheel or stuck on a treadmill, that was my personal impression, at least. But there has to be a way to at least alleviate the situation and “steal” an hour, maybe even two, from all your daily obligations and enjoy your personal time.

I used to do it for a while since I had the opportunity, and it really did help me to stay in shape, to stay focused, to come to work fresh, awake and calm, without having to sacrifice additional time on going to the gym or exercising at home. It’s not an ideal exercise, but it’s definitely more than the prescribed minimum, and it when you break it down, it can turn out to be a real time and life saver.

Get a House Maid

How much time do you normally spend cleaning up your place? You just finish tiding up, and within half an hour, there’s the mess again. You might think it doesn’t pay off, that it will be just an additional cost, but it’s worth all the time and energy it will save you. You can opt for a maid agency like https://www.deluxemaid.com/, which guarantees for their employees and their trustworthiness. Or you can hire an individual with a proven track record, and ideally recommended to you by a friend.

If, however, this is really not an option for you, try to organize better, to clean on the go, using the opportunity while you’re doing something else, or waiting for something, to clean what you can, and in that way prevent chores from piling up. For instance, you can clean a part of your bathroom while you’re waiting for the hair conditioner to soak in. In any case, the idea is not the let the chaos become too big, as it will then take a serious chunk of your time to fix it.

Plan Your Meals In Advance and Cook In Bulks

Instead of spending hours trying to decide what you’re going to cook, and then spending more hours in the kitchen, try and plan ahead. It happens to me that sometimes I can’t decide what to order for half an hour, not to mention cooking. So make it a 10-minute task every Sunday evening to prepare a list for the week.

Or even better, try to bulk-prepare your food for the whole week. It might take a bit of your weekend time, but it will pay off in the overall breakdown. Try with pot meals which are really convenient in this case. They don’t require too much of your effort, or time, once you put them on the stove, there’s not much you need to do except occasional steering. Of course, there are other options and meals, but in case, this approach can really help you save time.

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It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the fishing gear available, and you could end up bringing stuff you won’t need. If you’re new to fishing there’s no need to splurge as you’re better off with the basic stuff. Here are the four pieces of equipment you cannot do without.

Reels and Rods

You need to have the best fishing reels and rods, period. You don’t need the most expensive, but rather those that match your experience, capability, the location and the type of fish you want to catch.

If you’re a beginner, go with a spincasting reel that is capable of handling fish up to 20 lbs. Rod length matters too, as the longer the rod the longer you’ll be able to cast. For small individuals, a 5’6” rod is ideal, while others may be more comfortable with 6’ 6” rods.

Fishing Hooks

You will need small hooks for live bait as they’re easier to work with. For crappie and panfish, you’ll want to go with hooks size 6. For large fish like catfish and bass, you’ll want size 1 hooks.

These hooks are available in different shapes, but circle is the best as they don’t get stuck in the mouth of the fish. Instead, these stick in the fish’s mouth. This makes it easy for you to remove the hook. Another advantage is the hook doesn’t need to be set as the hooking starts when you reel the fish in.

Fishing Line

Monofilament fishing lines are known for their durability. They are versatile and easier to handle compared to other types of lines. For trout, crappie, panfish and similar fish, a 6 to 8 lb. However, you will need a 10 to 12 lb. test for bigger fish like walleye, catfish, and bass. The word ‘test” by the way, refers to the durability of the line.

Baits

Baits are divided into two types, live and artificial.

There are many types of live baits you can use like shrimp, crab, small fish and other types of crustaceans. But these can be expensive for beginners. Worms are cheaper and they work great for most fish. Hotdog bits, grubs, bread, or corn are also good baits.

You can get worms in your garden or pick up some bugs and use those instead. Put the worms in a cool container so they won’t die on the way to the fishing area. As for shrimps, crabs and the like, they don’t have to be live bait to be effective. Just make sure they’re still fresh or have been cooled, otherwise, the fish won’t come.

As for artificial lures, there are hundreds to choose from including spinners, jigs, poppers, plugs spoons, crankbaits and so on. Just pick a few and see which ones work best.

Conclusion

There you have it, the four must have items for your fishing gear. These are very easy to obtain and they’re inexpensive too. Just remember that even if you have the best gear, they’re only a means to an end as you must still be patient and choose the right fishing spot.

Health and safety regulations have been through quite a rapid transformation in the last few centuries. As beautiful as old houses can be, it’s important to remember that they weren’t built with the same risk assessments in mind as they are now. Consequently, certain materials used then have since been found to be extremely hazardous to human health. Here are some of the dangerous materials that could lurking in your home, and how you can get rid of them.

Lead paint

Before people started realising lead was poisonous it was used in everything, even paint. When ingested, lead can get into the bloodstream and travel to the brain causing intellectual disabilities and behavioural problems as well as headaches and nausea. It is especially dangerous for children, who may decide to curiously put a bit of flaked lead paint in their mouth. When discovered the best cause of actions is to strip all the walls. Thankfully, most properties have already been stripped of lead paint, but there are still some homes out there that remain untouched.

Lead piping

The Victorians used lead pipes to pump water around. Most utility companies have made it their mission to get rid of lead pipes. If a piece of lead flakes off, it can get into the water supply and potentially poison a whole family. If you live in an old house, make sure that it has had its piping replaced.

Old wiring

Most old wiring is still safe to this day, however house with the very first form of wiring – ‘knob and tube’ – should be fixed. Whilst the wires themselves are generally nothing to worry about, the insulation used in knob and tube wiring was primarily rubber, which crumbles over time. Most are now starting to crumble leaving exposed wires that can cause electrocution and fires if not attended to. Other old forms of insulation have also been known to crumble, so its best get an electrician around to check your old home if you haven’t already.

Asbestos

This durable, fire-proof material was hailed as a miracle product when it first came on the market. Unfortunately, it has since been discovered to be incredibly toxic, crumbling asbestos causing small shards that when inhaled can cause deadly lung cancer. There are many companies such asPROAS that specialise in the careful removal of asbestos. If you have a suspicion that you may have some in your property make it an emergency to get it removed.

Pressed wood

Pressed wood was a big fashion statement in the 70s, but has since been found to be highly toxic. Urea formaldehyde – the glue used to press the wood together – has been known to give off poisonous fumes when in hot or humid conditions. These fumes can cause difficulty breathing and asthma attacks, and have been reported to cause cancer in animals. So ditch that pressed wood table!

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If you’ve spent a long time living in a rented property, you are probably counting down the days until you can move into a place of your very own. When the day finally comes, you’ll realise that there is no better feeling than getting the keys to a home that is truly yours. It can provide a more stable place for your children to grow up in, and on the whole, it usually works out a lot cheaper too. Owning property is an investment, and this is why people buy at some point during their twenties or early thirties. But before you can start decorating your new pad, you need to do one thing first: and that is move out of your rental property. It sounds relatively simple, but unfortunately, landlords can often be very picky about the condition you leave the house in. Some are even rogue, and will try and take money off your deposit by claiming that internal damages were caused by you (even if they were already there when you moved in). If you’re about to move out of rented property once and for all, here’s how you can ensure that you get your full deposit back.

Image sourceHire the professionals If you’ve been super careful with your rented house or apartment all year round, it can be really annoying to end up damaging it on the day you move out. A lot of people accidentally damage their properties when they are moving items out of it, especially heavy, bulky items like tables and sofas. This could be knocking over something that came with the house and breaking it, or scraping paint off the walls. In any case, it is always best that you hire Professional Movers who will be able to provide a seamless operation. Clean like crazyEven if your rented property was dirty when you arrived (common amongst rogue landlords), you will be expected to clean it when you move out. This may take at least a day to complete, so it’s best that you set aside a couple of days for the move in its entirety. That way, you have one day for packing up your stuff and another for carrying out a deep clean. Don’t leave any stone unturned – clean under beds, clean skirting boards and make a real go of the bathroom and kitchen. It can also be worth replacing anything that’s faulty and relatively inexpensive, such as light bulbs. It might seem trivial, but it’s something your landlord could pull you up on.

Image source Dispute any unfair claims In most cases, the landlords will take a certain amount of money off your deposit before giving it back to you. Some of these may be due to general wear and tear. But, if you think you have been swindled out of cash, it’s important to dispute it. Taking an inventory when you originally move in and presenting it at this point can help you fight your corner. If your landlord won’t budge and you are missing a large amount of money, you may want to consider taking the case to a tribunal or to a small claims court.

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Being a mom is probably the most rewarding job on this earth. But anyone that tell you it’s easy is not being truthful. It is hard work, and it comes with a lot of worry and stress. There are so many pitfalls that you can find yourself in. Luckily there is plenty of advice to help you steer your ship through the choppy waters of motherhood. So if you are feeling in need of a bit of guidance, read on for some help and support.

From the time that your baby first comes into the world, your whole life is turned on its head. Once their babies are born a mom’s priorities is swayed towards caring for the little ones, even at the expense of their own self-care. It is a huge life changing event, that forever alters the way that mother deal with time and tasks from that moment on. But how does that fit in with all the other responsibilities of adult life?

Well, thispriority shift can cause problems for working moms. As they can find it hard to balance the care and attention of their kids with the demands made of them at work. It can be doubly difficult to fit in things like school meetings and dentist appointment because of their schedule.

Happily small changes can help there. Working moms can appeal to their boss to work flextime. Then you can still do the same number of hours but you won’t have to miss your kids first day at school or their end of term play.

If the answer is no, then it might be time to switch to a new provider that offers out of hours appointments in the evenings and at weekends. This will help you get all the vital health issue sorted in the limited time you do have.

Stay at home moms have to struggle with time management tool but in a different way. The expectations on the stay at home mom are high. They are often expected to run an immaculate home, cook all the meals as well as raising the kids. They also have an added sense of burden as people expect them to spend most of their day spending quality time with the kids. As if their other tasks wouldn’t take up a full day, without that!

A good way of dealing with this is to try and get into a reasonable routine. Then you can divide your time between the kids and the chores. It can even be good for the kids to have some time without your full attention. So they learn to amuse themselves by practicing their reading or playing quietly.

Another massive issue that mom have to deal with is guilt. That guilt that what they are doing isn’t quite good enough. That they could be a better mom. That maybe they should give up their career and spend all their time at home. Or, that they worry that they are not contributing to the families finances and should go back to work full time. Even though that is not what they want.

Unfortunately, some guilt just comes with the territory. Of course, it doesn’t help either when a group of mothers get into that weird one-upmanship game. So what if little Johnny could count to 10 before he was one? You have to remember that all children develop at their own pace. It is not a race, and it’s certainly not a competition.

So how to deal with mom guilt? Well, it’s a tricky one and what works for one person may not work for another. It is tempting to seek reassurance from our children or spouses, but sometimes this can be counter productive. This is because our sense of self-worth is based on another’s judgment. Of course, usually our kids and spouse will be kind, but not always. So it can be pretty shaky ground.

A combination of self-kindness and clear parenting goals works the best. It is important to set goals, so you know how you will deal with different sort of situations as they arise. For example, your goal may be that you won’t reinforce their bad behavior with attention. The forgiveness comes in because sometimes you’ll slip up and won’t do it. But that is OK. You are only human. As long as you are mostly on track, then you will get to that goal eventually. Meeting your goals will help you see that you are a ‘good mom’ in a way that is defined by you and no one else.

Sleep Time

One of the most major pitfalls for moms is sleeping habits. Have you spoken to anyone with kids that have not had some trouble getting them off to sleep at one time or another? Sleep issues can take many forms. Among others, they can want to get into your bed for comfort when they are young. Or they can refuse to sleep and seem full of energy whenever bedtime rolls around.

But how can you avoid this pitfall? Well, there are several methods of encouraging good sleep in your kids, and it is often a case of ‘just try it and see.’ If that one doesn’t work, then go onto the next one.

Some moms like to try to the cry it out method. This means they put their kids to bed and when they cry to get up and for attention, instead of responding the parents just them leave. Eventually, they learn that they crying has no effect, so they stop and just go to sleep. Other parents swear by a good bedtime routine including a lavender scented bath and a story. Still, others use technological gadgets to help such a lullaby mobile or Grow Clocks.

Rules

Setting rules and reinforcing them consistently is somewhere where it can be easy for any mom to fall down. Most people are pretty good on the rules side. Don’t shout, don’t run, don’t hit your sister, that kind of thing. But it is the consistency that is difficult to implement.

The trouble is that kids won’t respond to rules if they are not consistently reinforced, and that is where being a mom gets hard.

When people dream of being a mother, they don’t tend to think of repeating rules and actioning the consequences. No one likes to be the bad guy. But unfortunately, that is a big part of it. The kids need to know that if they don’t do something that is asked of them that there is a clear, regular system of consequences put in place. You can see this at work best on TV programs such as Supernanny.

In Supernanny, she warns the child of the rule they are breaking. Reminds them again and then implements a consequence. Which is usually spending time in a “cool down zone.”

This provides a way to remove the child from the situation where they are breaking the rule. It also allows them to have to feel and process their emotional response. The child often learns very fast that they can control their emotional response and rejoin the activity that they were doing.

The whole thing is meant to be impersonal, in a good way. It is not the child that is the problem but the behavior and when that behavior ceases they can carry on with what they were doing.

This is a way of dealing with behavior that can take a lot of stress off mom. But it also has the advantage of not endangering the relationship between mother and child. As the child is not cast as ‘bad’ just the behavior.

Something that is a less discussed pitfall of being a mother is that is that it is fraught with change and to a degree loss. From the moment that they are born they are gradually moving away from your protective care out into the big wide world.

Your job is to educate so they can be a successful adult. The problem is that because motherhood requires so much sacrifice, many moms start to see themselves only in that role.

This can create issues when the child go through stages where they are less dependent on their mother. Such as preadolescence and adolescence. It can be difficult for moms that have worked hard to have a good bond with their child, to start to let them go.

So how can this be avoided? The answer is to a greater or lesser extent depending on your personality and viewpoint sand that of your kids, it can’t. All mom are going to experience some pain and strife as their kids get older and start striking out on their own. The best thing is to be aware of it and know to expect it so you can deal with it easier.

Laying the groundwork while they are young for a communicative relationship can also help during the rough times. As can the realization that their desire to leave the nest and live in the big wide world is a good thing. As it means that, at least in some way, you have successfully avoided or transversed many of the pitfalls that motherhood can bring.

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Our homes may be the place where we feel safest, most secure, and protected. But all the locks and alarms in the world can’t stop terrible weather and other disasters from striking. Perhaps more distressing than the damage to the decor is the harm it can do to your mental and emotional health. Fire, vandalism, burglary, flooding, and wind damage can all happen to our properties. What you do next could change how seriously it affects you:

Fire

With the holiday period approaching, most of us are pretty wary of the dangers of fire in the home. Faulty electrics, knocked over candles, and poorly discarded cigarettes can all become incredibly destructive. Smoke damage can spread throughout the house. And if a fire takes hold, you could see significant damage. Once the heat is gone, it’s important to get the insurance company to document everything. Then you can decide to wait for their payout or get started with cleaning up and repainting.

Spray paint is notoriously difficult to remove, but there are products that can make lighter work of it. If the messages left on your property are offensive, chances are they’re illegal in more ways than one. Make sure you file a report and photographic evidence with your local police force. Your DIY skills may come in handy if fencing is kicked down or windows are smashed. However, it may be best to call a professional team to tackle it, especially if you are insured.

Burglary

Find your home has been broken into can be more distressing than losing the valuables that were stolen. For your own peace of mind, you might choose to make some changes to your home and enjoy a fresh start. Paint the walls, move the furniture around, and invest in new locks. It will help remove reminders of what happened, and you might feel less vulnerable.

Flooding

When it rains, it can really pour! If a lot of rain falls in a short space of time, your home may become flooded. The trouble is, this water that is rising in your home can be full of bacteria and germs that may be harmful to you and your family. You will likely need to move out while the house is treated to a flood damage cleanup by the professionals. The last thing you need is mold developing.

It doesn’t take a tornado to damage your roof and fences. Strong winds can be very destructive. They can blow debris around that may damage your windows too. Once you have identified the damage, it’s important to weatherproof your home again. Use plastic or tarp sheeting to keep the rain out. Board up any windows, and clear any glass away safely. The last thing you want is a sharp shard blowing about in a strong gale. If the roof is damaged, consult a professional roofing expert to confirm it is structurally safe.

Lots of things can go wrong with our houses, but fortunately, such occurrences are rare. Insurance policies usually cover much of the cost of damage when one of the above happens. Make sure you take photos quickly.

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When your child becomes a teenager, it can lead to troublesome relationships. After all, they believe they are an adult and want more independence. But at the same time, you want to keep them safe as you know the dangers of the world. So when they do want to go out on their own with friends, it can be a hard one for moms. You don’t want to restrict them as they might rebel. And time with their buddies is great to boost their mood and energy levels. However, you need to ensure they stay safe while out without you. Therefore, here are some easy ways to ensure your teen stays safe when going out with friends.

It’s so important that your teen can call you if they have an issue when they are out with friends. Or if it’s an emergency, they need to be able to call the police. Therefore, you need to ensure they go out with their phone fully charged. That way, you know they can make contact if there is an issue. If their phone battery is rubbish, you might want to look into a portable charger. That way, they can quickly charge their battery and make contact. It also stops them from using the excuse their phone died, so they couldn’t contact you! Also, get them to install some form of Find my Phone app. That way, if they don’t come home, you can find out exactly where they are!

Your teen is likely to complain if you offer to drop them off at their destination. After all, it’s ‘uncool’ to be seen with their mom! However, it can be too dangerous for your kid to walk to meet their friends on their own. Therefore, to compromise, you should arrange transport for them. There are so many different apps now such as Uber which lets you sort a ride easily for your teen. And it’s ideal for moms as you will know exactly who is picking them up and you can pay before they go. Also, you can read reviews online so that you know your teen is safely getting to their destination. And you can also arrange a lift back, so they don’t end up getting home too late! Failing this, ask a ‘cool’ cousin or aunt to take them, so you know they will get to their destination safely!

You need to make sure you set a clear curfew with your teen so that they know what time to come home. Explain to them what will happen if they don’t come back then. After all, they need to understand it’s a privilege they are going out, so they need to be respectful. And as this article says, some cities have a mandatory curfew for teenagers of a particular age. So explain this to your teen as well, so they know it’s crucial to follow the law!

And make sure you know exactly who they are going to meet. You don’t want it to turn out to be someone your teen has never met before. Therefore, make sure you trust the friends they are meeting and stop them from going unless you are confident your teen is telling the truth.

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There are few things more rewarding than sitting in a newly-renovated home. Having done all of the work that was needed and looking around you, it all feels worth it. And as we picture doing this, it’s not unlike those episodes of TV shows which open with an intriguing scene. The scene ends, and when the next one begins we see a caption on screen: “Several Weeks Earlier”.

As you contemplate that first scene, you wonder “what happened to get them from where we last saw them to this?”. And as the episode unfolds, questions are slowly answered. When you look at a point in your future, when you’re relaxing and watching TV in a new extension, you need to think about that. Yes, it’s rewarding to be there with all the work done. But how will you get from here to there?

“Several Weeks Earlier”: Get Your Master Plan In Place

The first thing you need to do when you decide to build an extension is ask yourself some basic questions. “What?” is the first one. What is it going to look like? What do you want to put in there? You may have some big plans for it, but are they feasible? You’ll only know when you plan it. So the next questions are the “How?” ones. How much will it cost? How will you get it looking like you want it to look?

Some of the more ambitious plans will involve borrowing to pay for the work required. If you plan to do a lot of the work yourself, then you mostly just need to fund the materials, although you may need a survey carried out. So if you do need to borrow, “Who” are you going to ask for that money? Comparing the amounts you can borrow, and deals you can get, using services like LendingTree is important.

At this stage, you may need to “reality check” your plans. Can you afford all of the things you want? Will you have to make sacrifices, and learn how to do some of the basic work yourself? Compromising so early on may feel like defeat. But it’s a world or two better than being four weeks in and realizing you’re going to need to change plans.

A Few Weeks In: Are Things Going To Plan?

The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, to semi-quote the poet Robert Burns. It’s a nice way of putting it – you can make what looks like a watertight plan, but does it survive real life? External factors like weather, health and the reliability of people you hire are aspects beyond your control. So if you find that you’re running behind schedule, you may need to amend the plan.

It’s not desirable, for example, to have two teams of workmen in the property at the same time. They may get in each other’s way and spend time arguing about who should be where when. At the same time, the longer you have people working on your house, the more it stands to cost you. So if things are running behind schedule, consider if there are parts of the plan you’re not wedded to. These can be changed or scrapped.

Nearing Completion: Don’t Be Tempted To Rush Now

Athletes, on seeing the finish line, tend to break into a sprint to get there first. If you’ve ever called a business at 4pm on a Friday, you’ll be familiar with the distant tone of voice on the other end. In short, people are prone to see beyond the finish once it is in sight. And this makes them half-do things.

You’ll even find yourself saying it: “Okay then, one final push! Then we can live in this.”. And that’s rather the point. You will be living in it, hopefully for some time. Against that long future, what is a few weeks of work being done right versus a few days rushing it? And certain things – like wiring, plumbing and structural soundness – can’t be rushed. Other things, like painting and finishing, can in that they aren’t safety-focused. But they still matter.

As basic a rule as it is, “do things right” needs to be the motto all the way through. Otherwise, when you look again at that opening scene to the TV show in your head, things won’t look right. Why does one of you have a bandage on your head? Why is the wind blowing in through the wall? What’s on fire? These are not the questions you want to be asking – so ask the right ones now.

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Do you watch a variety of cookery programmes on TV? There’s so many of them that you’re bound not to be at least hooked by one. So why do we reject the advice given to us by these top chefs and still buy ready made meals? The mind boggles.

Convenience is a factor that we must take into account. Yes, you can just microwave your ready meal and it’s on the table after 3 and a half minutes but is there the feeling of great satisfaction in this process? And how do you feel after eating it? Lets face it. You could have had a lovely day of preparing a delicious meal for you and your loved ones. There’s nothing quite like cutting an onion is there? It gets very emotional though at times. Also,have a think about what it’s doing for your body. A ready meal is not only expensive but also contains incredibly high amounts of salt and other doses of unhealthy flavourings whereas D.I.Y cooking is much healthier, cheaper and brings the family together. Only one winner isn’t there?

Homemade cooking has many more advantages too. You’ve done so well in planting those seeds in order for delicious vegetables to grow, so what a waste it would be not to use them in your meals? They will taste fresh and nutritious and why not be inventive and throw those carrots in puff pastry or those runner beans in a stir fry? The choice is yours. This is definitely cooking at its finest. Not only this, but you can creative in your fruit salads and breakfasts. Mix in some seasonal berries to your granola or ripe apples from your tree to your homemade tarte tatin. Just remember to wash them all first!

There’s so much technology in cooking that even if there was a splash of misery in the old styles of prepping, they have certainly been taken over now. Save money on your daily loaf purchase by investing in a bread maker. Remember to go online and check out sites like great bread maker reviews before your purchase however. Once you’ve found one that suits your lifestyle, you can make your range of paninis, toasties and even banana bread. Moreover, if you love eating cakes from the local patisserie, then why not try making one of your own. Historically, they used to be an upper class treat but now it’s for everybody’s tastes. Celebrate that by making a lemon drizzle, victoria sponge or a good old chocolate cake and treat your friends and family. If they can’t get enough, maybe you could even sell them at the church fair, the country club or beyond. Spread the word. Be creative. Be imaginative. Who knows what this could lead to? A head chef job perhaps?

Your kitchen will certainly be the talk of the town! You’ll be amazed by what it does to your bank account too. That expensive family trip to Florida may actually be back in the pipeline everyone!

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As an experiment, you should try a month without technology. Or, at least, as little technology as you can. This is a really important way of showing you the most important things in life. You can get back to basics for a bit and discover the essence of conversation and imagination once again.

It might seem like this is going to be a real struggle, but it’s a worthwhile experiment. You may well find you enrich your life as a result. There are plenty of tips you can use to help you enjoy a tech-free month. This list will also present alternatives to using tech to do things that are important to you.

Oh no, you’re thinking, how are you ever going to keep yourself entertained with no technology?! Simple answer, read. Do things you always used to do before you became surgically attached to your phone. Read lots of books and improve your imagination that way. You can also go out walking and have bike rides. Playing sport is another great idea because it’s fun and popular, and it doesn’t require technology to play. Honestly, you’ll be surprised by how much more you appreciate forms of entertainment when you cut your technology usage.

Communicate With People

Ah, communication. The dying art from. It was Albert Einstein who said that once technology surpasses human interaction the world will have a generation of idiots. While it may be unfair to label anyone an idiot, the basis of Einstein’s quote is true. We don’t communicate anymore as human beings, and we’re too quick to hide behind screens. Now that you’re ditching the technology for a month, it may well open your eyes to how little we communicate. If you want to talk to a friend or colleague, forget about Facebook. Don’t text. Pick up the White Pages, find their landline number, and give them a call! You might be surprised by how much you both end up getting out of the experience.

Have a Vacation

Vacation is the perfect time to get away from the stresses of your real life. And you could use some of your tech-free month to take a trip. A tech-free vacation is the best you will ever have, and you should try to take the kids too. Consider something like camping to give you a simpler and more basic view of the world. There are plenty of fun-filled outdoor family activities you could get up to that don’t involve technology of any kind. Why not go hiking and enjoy nature in all it’s splendor? Take the chance to get out there in the wide world and enjoy nature and the sights without using your phone.

How can you keep up with news and current affairs without technology? Well, you can read the paper, of course. But, you could also listen to the news on the radio. Sure, the radio is technology, but it’s something that’s barely used anymore. And it’s a definite change from you Googling things! Reading the newspaper and listening to the radio presents you with a great way of keeping abreast of the news and current affairs. And it makes you look at things in a different light without the influence of technology.

So, you see, it is entirely possible to have a great month without having to rely on technology. And you may actually end up enjoying the experiment more than you think. Perhaps this will usher in a new, tech-free focus for you in your life!